Château du Frankenbourg, Medieval castle in Neubois, France
The Château du Frankenbourg is a castle ruin located near Neubois, situated on elevated terrain overlooking the Alsace Plain. The site preserves remains of a defensive wall, a gatehouse, and the foundation of the lord's residence that once dominated this hilltop location.
Construction began around 1150 when the fortress served local feudal interests in Alsace. The Bishop of Strasbourg held authority over the site from the 13th century until 1483, when control passed to the Cathedral Chapter.
The name comes from the fortress of the Franks, and the castle chapel once featured stained glass windows displaying symbols from Frankish heraldry. These decorative elements reflected the fortress's historical connection to early Germanic peoples.
The ruins are accessed from a car park on Route de Sélestat in Neubois via a clearly marked walking path. The climb to the site takes about 75 minutes and requires good walking shoes due to steep sections and uneven terrain.
The architect Daniel Specklin suggested the fortress may have been built on Roman foundations and possibly established by King Clovis for military movements through Alsace. This theory connects the site to early Frankish history rather than later medieval development.
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